Buzzing Volume and presence

AmpBuilder225 · 1st December 2009, 05:58 PM

Hi, I have designed and built a 100 watt EL34 push pull power amp for a guitar and I am having problems with the volume and presence controls. When The presence is on maximum there is a buzzing heard through the speakers. Also when the volume control is on minimum there is the same sound.

Interestingly if the presence has recently 'buzzed', the volume control will stay silent, but if the amplifier has been left for a few minutes, moving the volume to zero will make noise. Can anybody offer any solutions to this problem because it is baffling me!

The only way these controls are connected is to a star ground point which is directly below both of them. Over the rest of the range of the pots, they work fine.

Thanks for any help,
Chris

pointy · 1st December 2009, 09:08 PM

are you using resistors from the pots to ground............?

AmpBuilder225 · 1st December 2009, 09:31 PM

No - should I be?

pointy · 1st December 2009, 09:41 PM

may be if you put a 4 ohm cardon film in it may stop.

sometimes with low voltages, pot contacts act like capacitors and then if in series will change value.

AmpBuilder225 · 1st December 2009, 09:52 PM

I'll give it a go! Does how good the pots are affect this - I'm using alpha pots which are supposed to be decent. Also, would adding a resistor in there alter the effect the pot has on the volume?

pointy · 1st December 2009, 10:16 PM

with alps you should not get the problem i was thinking it was as they use a multi contact which was designed to over come this.

but it should be ok to try as the pot should be in the order of (K) ohms and only adding 4 ohms will not change much.

pointy · 1st December 2009, 10:25 PM

like this........... TB-303 potentiometers

but it still only take a little oil or dust to lift the contacts

AmpBuilder225 · 1st December 2009, 10:43 PM

Thanks for your help - I'll try the resistor first since I already have ~30 alpha pots over the whole amp! Good to know for future reference about the alps devices though - cheers

pointy · 2nd December 2009, 12:09 AM

for safety only put the resistor in place temporarily to see if it fixes things.........and then change the pot.

do not leave the resistor there as the pot is a hand control and if the resistor faults you will have no safety earth.

AmpBuilder225 · 2nd December 2009, 01:09 PM

Yeah good point - I'll do that

1st December 2009, 05:58 PM	#1
AmpBuilder225 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009	Buzzing Volume and presence Hi, I have designed and built a 100 watt EL34 push pull power amp for a guitar and I am having problems with the volume and presence controls. When The presence is on maximum there is a buzzing heard through the speakers. Also when the volume control is on minimum there is the same sound. Interestingly if the presence has recently 'buzzed', the volume control will stay silent, but if the amplifier has been left for a few minutes, moving the volume to zero will make noise. Can anybody offer any solutions to this problem because it is baffling me! The only way these controls are connected is to a star ground point which is directly below both of them. Over the rest of the range of the pots, they work fine. Thanks for any help, Chris

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1st December 2009, 09:08 PM	#2
pointy diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	are you using resistors from the pots to ground............?

1st December 2009, 09:31 PM	#3
AmpBuilder225 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009	No - should I be?

1st December 2009, 09:41 PM	#4
pointy diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	may be if you put a 4 ohm cardon film in it may stop. sometimes with low voltages, pot contacts act like capacitors and then if in series will change value.

1st December 2009, 09:52 PM	#5
AmpBuilder225 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009	I'll give it a go! Does how good the pots are affect this - I'm using alpha pots which are supposed to be decent. Also, would adding a resistor in there alter the effect the pot has on the volume?

1st December 2009, 10:16 PM	#6
pointy diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	with alps you should not get the problem i was thinking it was as they use a multi contact which was designed to over come this. but it should be ok to try as the pot should be in the order of (K) ohms and only adding 4 ohms will not change much.

1st December 2009, 10:25 PM	#7
pointy diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	like this........... TB-303 potentiometers but it still only take a little oil or dust to lift the contacts

1st December 2009, 10:43 PM	#8
AmpBuilder225 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009	Thanks for your help - I'll try the resistor first since I already have ~30 alpha pots over the whole amp! Good to know for future reference about the alps devices though - cheers

2nd December 2009, 12:09 AM	#9
pointy diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	for safety only put the resistor in place temporarily to see if it fixes things.........and then change the pot. do not leave the resistor there as the pot is a hand control and if the resistor faults you will have no safety earth.

2nd December 2009, 01:09 PM	#10
AmpBuilder225 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009	Yeah good point - I'll do that

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